This invention relates to a grinding device for sharpening the clothing of the main carding cylinder of a carding machine. The grinding device which may be temporarily mounted on the carding machine, has a holder which carries a grinding element such as a grinding wheel or a grindstone and is, according to the prior art, affixed to the carding machine when a sharpening of the cylinder clothing is required.
Published European Application 041 186 discloses a grinding device for sharpening the clothing of, for example, the main carding cylinder of a carding machine. The grinding device which represents the conventional practice, includes a rotating grinding roll which extends along the axial length of the main carding cylinder. It is a disadvantage of such a conventional arrangement that it needs a substantial technological outlay for its operation and preparatory work. Thus, to permit the use of the conventional grinding device the following measures have to be taken: stopping the fiber feed and causing the traveling flats and the main carding cylinder to run idle (that is, without fiber material). Then the carding machine is stopped, the cylinder clothing is exposed, and the cylinder cover portion in the service region of the grinding device is removed. Then the mount for the grinding device is installed, the grinding device is inserted and secured such that it is set parallel to the carding cylinder, the current connection to the grinding device is established, and the protective plates for safely guarding the open cylinder zone are set in place. After all these steps the grinding operation may start. In order to be able to again operate the carding machine, that is, upon completion of the grinding process, the above-listed measures have to be performed in the reverse order. The labor time involved for the entire procedure--assuming the presence of a cylinder braking device--is more than 1.5 hours.
It is known to install permanently a grinding system in each carding machine and therefore such grinding system is in a standby condition, ready to operate. The costs, however, for such a solution are considered to be prohibitive. In addition, the cylinder clothing needs to be ground only from time to time so that the permanently installed grinding device is idle most of the time.